In my mind I have been thinking about all of the beautiful blessings that have come to me. There have been so many ideas and blogs floating around in my head lately and I have just not been able to get them onto paper and into your minds. Tonight I finally have a little bit of time and I need to get all of this out because students I need to have room to keep learning and growing and writing. Yes it is a lifetime process so buckle up and do your best. Here is some hope work not homework! Because hope is what I need you to put out into our community and world. I want you to read something from the Bible everyday, say a short prayer for those around you, and look for opportunities around you to plant a seed of hope. That means students find someone that needs a blessing and you plant that seed of love and help them. Even if it’s taking someone’s buggy back for them at the grocery store. Before I send you on your way to spread hope I wanted to talk more about seeds. Stop grumbling back row!
I have always loved gardening. For fun I used to read horticulture magazines. Recently I realized I think I was a bit of a weird kid. I did not fit in well even with my cousins. The antics of my youth with my cousins has inspired a story even: the cousin conundrum! This was completely off topic but I’m trying to paint the picture here so be patient. Back to gardening. I have a wonderful friend that during the pandemic began to research how to sustain your family by growing vegetables in cubes. She and I have a lot of history together. We attended college together, raised children together, and taught for 20 years in similar systems but ended our careers together. I remember after I got the news that my body would be totally deteriorated in 10 to 11 years and I told her. She looked me in the eyes, grabbed me and hugged me. Then looked in my eyes again and said, “Oh my sweet friend no.” She began to weep and hold me. This was a day of tears. Her heart literally hurt for me. Unbeknownst to us my sweet friend would have a horrible stroke and have to retire 2 years before I did.
This amazing friend of mine can do more with her broken body than three people. She called me and asked me if I wanted to try the gardening techniques that she had learned. I of course said yes immediately! If it’s about dirt excuse me Master gardeners I mean soil and plants you can count me in. You see this part of my life is the part of my life that no one in my house enjoys. Having a friend call and ask if she can plant flowers and vegetables for me is like a dream come true. So she and I picked two days and she would come over and show me all that she had learned.
The next sunny day that we had she came over with all of her magical materials! She had pea gravel, compost, topsoil, and peat moss. She carried all the materials and we took them to a shady spot. She began her assembly line method of creating the veggie boxes. I was utterly amazed! My friend who had suffered and lost so much from her stroke was giving me a lesson. You see I had been having some bad days let’s be real I believe I had a few months of sadness during all of this pandemic. My sweet strong friend used this time to learn and grow and to plant seeds to feed her family just in case we have to start doing things a lot different in our country. Even if we can still get things in stores, knowing how to do it is so much more satisfying. My friend has become a Master Gardener. I watched her beauty and strength as she packed all of the veggie boxes made. It me so so proud of her. Proud that she never gave up. Proud that she enjoys her life. Proud that she always wants to help others. Proud that she has turned her sadness into joy. Proud that she is grateful for her brokenness and Jesus shines through it. But does she ever have pity parties? Absolutely! We all do. But the seeds of happiness that are sown by our friends will choke out so much sadness, grief and depression if we just let it. If we just plant seeds for each other, just think how much beauty could be in our world.
The pandemic has changed so many people. I know that it has changed so many people for the good. I think the powers that be wanted to scare us and split us apart is feeling a backlash of faith and light and strength. What is all this? It is the power of good. It is the power of love. It is the power of truth. Students we all know good and evil. It seems like a continuous fight and it is. We have to continue to fight to plant good seeds and even more importantly be sure those seeds we plant are from the way, the truth, and the light of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Sarah Anderson Alley Sal the Seed Planting Gal
Quote of the Day Grow where you are planted.
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